, 1887-11-02

XIII OOHt& RsV wv Ath IA
sugar, inthe other being, as such, unsala-
BILE at any price likely to cover package,
freight and charges.
The American cane grower, such invidi-
Gus j~uxtaposition offgures Notwithstanding,
will not fail, after a brief ~sojourn upon
Cuban cane soil, to become deeply imbu-
ed with the conviction that, were it not
for the peculiar and well nigh innumbera-
bile perplexities of Cuba'S surrOunding s,
intrinsic and extrinSic, he sugar beet could
scarcely have gained the ascendency it
now boasts as II source of sugar supply, it
being eminemtly safe TO affirm this Islands
entire ability, as otherwise among things
%attainable, to lay dow annually at the
seaboard, with profit, II to 2 cents per
pound, ten fold her banner crop of 1896
ar amount, indeed, in decided excess of
civilized mankind's present total cOnsump-
ton.
It need scarcely be said that every effort
to arrive at even the most approximate,
average cost Of producing in the fl eld, de.
liyering at the mill or of afterwards fabri-
eating 81 ton of cane, or that, again, OF
marketing its product, ANONYMOUSLY fail
ed so far as sufficient reliability to possess
value was concerned. This will appear less
remarkable when it is considered how that
our OuOdn NlSlLOl IllSuG lCCl u IODOIU VI
Louisiana compulsory, upon return to his
ever verdant home, although similar to
this i'll phrase. Inland freights were found
to be simply extortionate, of course, over
lines Of railway taxing passenger traffic
not much less than ten cents per mile, and
employing locomotives probably discarded
by American roads previous to secession,
but are now properly enough on the de-
cline that it has become a simple alternA-
tive Of lower tariff schedules or no bust
ness, as seems likely 10 happen with us!
one estate fortunately located, shipping in
it's own bottoms to d United States port,
lightered fifteen miles, it was said, at six
cents, with ocean rates at fifteen cents per
hundred pounds to destination seven
miles Of raiirGading over It's private line
and marine insurance on hull and cargo
not included. This last the sailing dis
lance being l,7OO miles, with two hand
lingS, although no criterion of Cuban
f~reights, is perhaps worthy but probably
not likely to attract the notice of local
common carriers-rail and river-being I'M
der the American flag, with American wa
ges, American coal, ana Spanish pOrtdurs
and pilotag &c to face! Commissions, broker
age, port and other charges also constitute
a burden born with no little complaint
but, for the many, without redress.
Bags are used almost exclusively, since
several years, as tie most economical pack
age for centrifugal sugars, being, perhaps,
at seven cents per hundred pounds con
tent, The one article which in Cuba is
cheaper than with ourselves. MuscovadoS
and export mOlaSSeS must continue to call
for hOgSheadS. Havana alone receives IL
moderate amount OF raw sugar packed III
boxes for the Spanish market; while Car.
denas exports also home to Spain, similar
ly packed, a small quantity of the white
product Of its refinefy-the only one in
Cuba.
The export duty, reduced by 20 per cent
during the subscribers %s0journ OH the Is
land, is not so serious a matter as we have
been heretofore led to believe. Exceeding
ly. crude III it's conception, it absurdly and
u~ujusily recognizes but two grades Of pro-
duct: dry sugars, taxed 80 cents per 100
Kilograms, and damp or wet sugars, taxed
% centS-simplicity being its single recon.
mendation. This amounts TO an average
toll of about $1.8O per hid. of 1850 lbs.
and is, by Prescriptions, more faithfully
collected that the proceeds find in conside-
rable part the pocket of corrupt, subordi-
nate officials. AS the crown officers and
the exGhrquer, neither OF them, fad there
fore any illpol tant benefit to accrue from
it, the opinion prevails that the next crop
will witness its total a~brogation, except
Spain effects, i'll the interim, a new com.
,,,nroi- / tra4otv with tho SfafnS II Snn1ns